Today’s post is more of a personal message. I want to thank everyone who sent suggestions of songs for me to cover. Almost a thousand songs! Truthfully, there were many I am not familiar with, so it will serve as a bit of musical education. I am looking into them but wanted to mention two of the songs that struck me. Down so Low, sung by the soulful Tracy Nelson, is from Mother Earth’s 1968 album Living With the Animals. It was once a favorite of mine and I thought of singing it in the seventies but it was out of my range. I had forgotten about it, but my life experience has expanded and my voice is deeper now. Even if I fail, now reminded, I am listening to it again. I am still marveling Tracy Nelson’s incomparable delivery, at twenty-three years old, with her mix of deep felt emotion and sophisticated restraint.
Another suggested song was Pauper’s Dough. I had never heard of it, nor the film it graces. I loved it immediately on first listen. Pauper’s Dough was written by King Creosote, for the soundtrack he created for the transcendent documentary, From Scotland with Love, by Virginia Heath. Here is a brief description:
The film explores universal themes of love, loss, resistance, migration, work and play. Ordinary people, some long since dead, their names and identities largely forgotten, appear shimmering from the depth of the vaults to take a starring role. These silent individuals become composite characters, who emerge to tell us their stories…..
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fromscotlandwithlove
Above is a link to the film. Below is the audio of the song that so captured me. I aim to try it one day, but only if I can do it justice. The lyrics read as a poem to the people, the salt of the earth.
I am very grateful for being exposed to so many new songs, each being a world. It will take awhile to get through them but I will keep you posted as to my progress. In the coming weeks I will be ruminating and trying new ideas. Thank you everyone and take care. Things are slowly opening up and it’s important to stay balanced and patient. It’s going to take awhile to reclaim and rebuild. But so great to be alive.
Thank you once again, Patti.
'Paupers Dough' made me cry as it did when I first saw the movie. A poignant catharsis, now that I find myself back in my West of Scotland hometown after almost 30 years.
I read your post while sitting at Saltcoats Harbour in Ayrshire, (the birth county of Robert Burns, (I once met you and Oliver Ray after you performed with Michael Marra at a Robert Burns Festival). As I looked over to the Isle of Arran, "The Sleeping Warrior " (after its distinctive skyline), the movie and the song raised memories of my childhood, when this harbour was full of fishermen and their boats, when the seaside was awash with people bathing, children building and burying with sand, donkey rides and fish 'n' chips.
Though the boats and fisherman are gone, the donkey rides no longer, people are returning to the seaside like I haven't seen since my childhood.
I wish you all the very best with 'Pauper's Dough' and hope you find an expression of the song you are happy with so we can all hear it.
"From Scotland with Love"
Kevin 🎈
It's so easy to like you, Patti, for you are always who you are...bright, passionate, empathetic, humble, fierce...I could go on. It's been such fun participating in dialogs like this, you ask, we respond, and you express your appreciation and acknowledge our efforts. Always...
Last night my husband and I watched on YouTube the finale of your 2019 show at the Philly Met, which we attended. I was transported back to my seat in the theater, dancing as I had that nite, unable to be still as your energy grabbed me. The week after Philly we went to a performance at Cathedral of St. John to see Jesse play in homage to the brave souls in attendance at the incident in Tiananmen Square. I wore the shirt I had bought from her in Philly. Serendipitously, we were both on the outer staircase at the same time, she with a friend, I with my husband. I said hello, she noticed the shirt, and then my Italia baseball cap and asked if she could photograph me and of course I said yes, reminding her that I'd bought it from her! We then bumped into one another again in the rest room, and I assured her I was not a stalker!😊 We've had some heartfelt exchanges since then. At age 77 I am still, and always shall be, a rocker! Til next time...